WASHINGTON – The steady chimes, rings and tones around the office can create quite a carol.

No, these sounds are not the echoes of a holiday tune. They are the year-round reminder of non-stop emails and messages popping up on the screen.

“We are bombarded with those multiple different ways that people try to reach us,” says Paul Spiegelman, chief executive officer of BerylHealth, a technology-focused company working with health care providers and patients.

“The key is to try to very simply pay attention and try to eliminate as many distractions (as possible),” he says.

This goal is a challenge both in the work place and at home, as Americans